Member Article

Ghetto Golf back in the swing with longer hours

ONE OF Tyneside’s most popular attractions has extended its opening hours as Newcastle’s ‘business village’ reawakens.

Ghetto Golf opened on Hoults Yard, Byker, a year ago, but closed in March due to the COVID lockdown. The adult crazy golf course, festooned with brilliant street art, reopened in July, and has now extended its opening hours so players can enjoy a round from noon. The venue’s popular bistro, Apocalypse Cow, has also reopened.

Peter Shaw, Operations Director at Ghetto Golf, explained: “We’re lucky with the size of the venue which gives us a large capacity of ventilation and makes social distancing easy, but the safety and comfort of our guests is our priority so we temperature check people at the door, we regularly sterilise our equipment and have introduced a thorough new cleaning regime.

“We also have a strict one-way policy, plenty of sanitisers available, we’ve gone cashless and our staff will wear full PPE. I think we’ve got the balance right – enabling our guests to fully enjoy the experience, but keeping them safe at the same time.”

Charlie Hoult, MD at HyHubs, which owns Hoults Yard as well as the Hypoint and Haylofts business centres, said: “Extending the hours of Ghetto Golf is part of bringing back the Hoults Yard buzz. One of the reasons businesses choose us is the vibe we work hard to promote at the Yard. Understandably over the summer, it’s been a bit quiet.

“However, over the last few weeks more of our businesses have been returning, and our food and drink specialists have reopened – places such as doughnut legends Proven Goods, our amazing patisserie Studio 28, HomeBird Bakery and Full Circle brewery’s Pip Stop liquor store and their pizzeria.

“The reopening of Rascals Barber Shop, Salon Blanc and some of the gyms and fitness centres on the yard is a further sign of life getting back to ‘near normal.’

“And while it’s going to be some time before the economy fully recovers, it’s hugely encouraging that there are seven businesses who’ll become HyHubs tenants over the next couple of weeks. Interest in Haylofts – our new property at Haymarket in Newcastle city centre – has been particularly strong and I hope to reveal our first tenant in our ‘hidden gem’ shortly.”

Haylofts is the old Newcastle Brewery stables on St Thomas Street, adjacent to Haymarket travel interchange. The revamped space has 22 offices, seven meeting rooms and a tiered, bleacher-seating lecture space for 50. Haylofts tenants will also have enjoy broadband speeds of up to 100Gbps, a first for business centres in Newcastle.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hoults Yard .